New York Representative Jerrold Nadler,
a Democrat from New York, will introduce a
bill that would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
without the support of Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank, the
most powerful openly gay politician in Congress.
The bill, to be unveiled at a press
event Tuesday, aims to repeal the 13 year old law that defines
marriage as a heterosexual union for federal agencies and allows
states to ignore gay marriages performed outside their borders.
But Frank, the nation's first
representative to voluntarily come out of the closet, says he won't
back the bill.
“It's not anything that's achievable
in the near term,” Frank told gay weekly The
Washington Blade.
“I think getting [the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act], a repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell,' and
full domestic partner benefits for federal employees will take up all
of what we can do and maybe more in this Congress.”
Frank said he could not support the
bill's “certainty provision.”
“The provision that says you can take
your benefits as you travel, I think, will stir up unnecessary
opposition with regard to the question of are you trying to export it
to other states,” he said. “If we had a chance to pass that, it
would be a different story, but I don't think it's a good idea to
rekindle that debate when there's no chance of passage in the near
term.”
Nadler, however, disagreed in a
statement: “Our bill allows states to continue deciding those
questions, while ensuring uniform access to critically important
federal responsibilities and rights that hinge on marriage and upon
which all married couples should be able to rely.”
Text of the legislation was not made
available by Nadler's office, leaving open the question of how far
the bill goes in attacking DOMA.